Water district approves budget, tax rate

Wednesday

Sep 25, 2013 at 8:05 PM

At 0.32 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption would pay $32.80.

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s governing board has approved its budget for the coming fiscal year. The board unanimously approved a tax rate of 0.32 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value on Tuesday night at its Palatka headquarters. That is the rolled- back rate, the rate expected to raise the same amount of tax revenue as the current year’s rate, based on revised assessments of the same properties. At that rate, the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption would be asked to pay an estimated $32.80. The rate is expected to generate an estimated $80.6 million in the district’s 18-county region that includes Volusia and Flagler counties. The remainder of the district’s $135.5 million total budget for the year that starts Oct. 1 comes from a variety of sources, including state and federal agencies, timber sales, cattle leases and permit fees. The budget includes money for programs throughout the region, such as restoration and water supply development, including $10.3 million for springs restoration and protection project and a nutrient reduction program in Lake George. “This budget increases funding for restoration projects by nearly 12 percent above last year’s budget and includes funds for 22 cost-share projects that will protect springs, help achieve minimum flows and levels and enhance water supplies,” Board Chairman Lad Daniels said in a prepared statement. “By reducing administrative costs and implementing additional efficiency measures in our operations, we are able to dedicate more funds to projects that protect and restore the region’s water resources.”— Dinah Voyles Pulver